While moral obligations and shouts for resignations have been debated, readers are returning to the root of the Jerry Sandusky scandal and reminding others to remember the children:

manstaine: "Always protect children. You never embarrass yourself by going to far to protect the health and safety of children. To stand by and let innocent children be harmed, and put future children at risk is unforgivable.

None of our coaches or administrators took an extra step for those children in shower, at the campus, or any where else. None of our coaches or administrators took an extra step to help protect future innocents.

No one stepped in to help that defenseless poor little boy in that shower. The one person there that could have saved him left him behind with a savage. That conduct was rewarded by giving that person promotions and that person is leading young men today on the football.

Stand by our university, but the cowards and the people who left our children behind and put further children at risk must pay for doing nothing. We must pride ourselves on always doing the right thing for children, not those who would protect the guilty."

Abrexus: "This isn't about innocence or guilt as many keep stating, this is about doing the right thing. When allegations of this magnitude are made, action must be taken immediately to protect our children, and that simply was not done. We cannot risk another child by allowing individuals to remain in charge who may have allowed the abuse of dozens of children due to their inaction. All parties involved need to take a leave of absence at the very least, Joe included, until an investigation into their handling of the situation can be performed."

unewmewhen: "They are stepping down, not because it is the right thing to do at this time, not out of a sense of obligation to the university that has provided well for them, but so they have time to defend themselves.

It sickens me to read how they are working already on blaming the kids, and the families they come from, blaming the statue of limitations, and blaming the law that “applies only to children under the care and supervision of the organization for which he works, and that’s Penn State. It’s not The Second Mile." and “This child, from what we know, was a Second Mile child.” Or, in Scott Paterno's explanation, "The grand-jury presentment makes it sound like McQueary said the same thing to Joe as he said to police, and that’s not accurate."

What ever happened to doing the right thing because it was the right thing to do?"

scratchingmyhead:
"My heart goes out to the victims. I hope they are able to put this adversity behind them versus feeling their lives are defined by it. They are our heroes.

As we adults express outrage and find fault with who should have/could have done more to protect these children, let's not forget to point fingers...at ourselves. We've known for far too long how most police departments and protective service agencies are ill-equipped to deal with child abuse matters reported to them.

Most reported cases go unresolved for lack of resources to effectively deal with the them. The volume of such cases is more than most agencies can handle. Laws and procedures often favor the abuser, not the victim.

I hope as Pennsylvanians we will now work together to ensure that our law enforcement and protective service agencies have the financial and other resources needed to effectively deal with child abuse issues...and are held accountable for doing so. The moral compass applies to us, too."

admiringtrueheroes: "To the victims of this heinous crime and their family members,
I'm so sorry for your pain and so grateful for your courage. Too many will be blinded by allegiance to false heroes to see clearly, but fortunately you speak up and out to remind us why it's so important to fight for the truth. You did so at a greater cost than anyone after suffering unimaginable pain. That is worth something. It is worth more than the cowardice too many folks at Penn State are showing, from the president down to the legendary head coach, who expects to take only football questions tomorrow.
Folks who are blinded HAVE to clear their vision so as not to further victimize the true heroes here -- victims who found a way to take on power simply because it was the right thing to do and could help others avoid their fate. People must lose their jobs over this, including Paterno, and the community must remember to throw their support behind the people who need it most. Not some football coach who did not display the honor he always talked about. Not a football team that is aiming for a Big 10 championship and think that's where the focus needs to be, as if a victory in a game can make any of this better.

Children suffered because of this whole blind allegiance. Don't make them suffer as men who stood up to do the right thing so much more than the supposed football heroes did. Honor the right people. Support the right people. Don't make them suffer more. Reward their courage.

Do what they did and too many people at Penn State did not. Just do what's right."

CentralPennsylvanian: "I can not even begin to understand the pain these victims and their families have endured. Thankfully these horrific crimes have been brought to light. There are no do-overs in these cases. I can only hope and pray that the boys and their families have sought help and will eventually feel some sort of peace in their lives."

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